The devices, systems, and methods disclosed herein relate generally to surgical instruments and techniques, and more particularly, to surgical instruments and techniques for treating an ocular condition.
Internal limiting membrane (ILM) removal and epi-retinal membrane (ERM) removal are useful surgical treatments of different macular surface diseases. However, the surgical techniques for ILM and ERM peeling require skill and patience. Precise and carefully constructed surgical instruments are used for each segment of the surgical technique.
The surgical treatment itself includes grasping an edge of the membrane, and peeling the membrane. The surgical technique itself is a two-step procedure. First, the surgeon must gain an edge of the membrane. Some surgeons use a scraper to gain the edge. Next, the surgeon introduces a special forceps to grasp and peel the membrane. However, since each step requires patience and precision, a surgeon may sometimes scrape and then attempt to grasp the tissue multiple times during a single surgical procedure. Each time that a different tool is desired, the surgeon removes the instrument being used from the surgical site, and introduces the desired surgical instrument. This can be time consuming, and often requires the surgeon to make judgment calls as to when an alternative instrument might or might not be needed.
The present disclosure is directed to devices, systems, and methods that address one or more of the disadvantages of the prior art.